IN A TOOTH AND NAIL BATTLE, THE RIVERDOGS RALLY TO PREVAIL OVER TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS IN AN EBA 15U SELECT LOOP GAME AT DOMINICO FIELD AT CHRISTIE PITS
Beneath a checkered blanket of cloudy and overcast skies amidst the dog days of summer, the York Riverdogs defeated the Toronto Playgrounds 15U Selects 11-5 in six innings of Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) 15U Select Loop action this afternoon at Dominico Field at Christie Pits.
The tooth and nail proceeding was an entertaining and well played contest between two talented and well coached teams. After TP had judiciously built itself an early lead, the Riverdogs made the most of their opportunities both offensively and defensively in the latter innings to stage a comeback rally and ultimately prevail for the victory.
In the top of the first, York jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage, After Lucas (23) garnered a lead off walk, Matteo (4) stroked a single that put two aboard. Luca T. (5) followed with a RBI hit that brought Lucas home with the opening run of the game. A TP error on the play allowed Matteo to scoot home with another run.
After Luca T. had swiped his way around the horn to third base, Talan (27) drew a walk that put two mallards on the lake. A wild pitch by TP would allow Luca T. to come home with the Riverdogs third run.
Subsequently, with York baserunners at third and second, TP starter Riley (9) induced Nicholas (24) into an eight mile high pop up, which second baseman Saeed (7) battled the grey skies above to catch in his trusty mitt. for the first out
With one out, Riley coaxed Shane (9) to pop out to first for the second out. Noticing that Ryan (44) had wandered afar from second base on the play, TP first baseman Lucas (19) threw over to shortstop Anthony (20) to complete the sweet 3-6 double play to end the Riverdogs insurgency.
Toronto Playgrounds answered back with three in the bottom half of the first to deadlock the affair at 3-3. After a one out single, Guillermo (14) advanced to second base on a York error. After shuffling over to third on a groundout by Lucas, Guillermo blazed home with TP’s first run on a wild pitch by the Riverdogs.
After a two out hit by Dash (22), Anthony (20) garnered a walk that put two aboard. With TP runners on third and second, Riley delivered a clutch RBI single that allowed Dash to score and trim the deficit to one.
With a runner on third, Saeed hit a grace under pressure RBI hit that brought Anthony home with the tying run.
Unfazed, York starter Matthew (8) tallied a strikeout and a pair of groundouts in the first frame to terminate the TP uprising.
TP starter Riley chalked up two strikeouts and a fly out in the top of the second to keep the Riverdogs off the scoring ledger and in the dawg pound.
In the bottom of the second, TP cashed in with a run to take a slender tenderloin 4-3 lead. After a leadoff walk and stolen base by Graham (12), a Riverdogs defensive error with one out allowed Kesh (98) to reach base and Graham to shuffle over to third base. Liam (74) followed with a RBI hit that moved Kesh to second and brought Graham home with the go ahead score.
With runners on second and first, Devon (16) slashed the a liner into shallow centre field. As Kesh brazenly charged home, York catcher Talan took receipt of the throw and tagged out Kesh in a chitty chitty bang bang play at the dish to ring up the second out.
Riverdogs starter Matthew induced a groundout to bring the TP rebellion to an an end in the second inning.
With guile, TP starter Riley kept York off the scoresheet in the top portion of the third with a groundout, pop out and fly out.
Toronto Playgrounds stretched its upper hand to 5-3 in the bottom of the third, Following a leadoff walk, Lucas turned on the afterburners and utilized his Grand Theft acumen to advance to third base with a pair of derring-do steals. With one out, Lucas took advantage of an errant York pickoff attempt to zoom homeward with a run.
Undaunted, York starter Matthew tallied a strikeout and two pop outs in the third inning to curtail the TP mutiny.
The Riverdogs roared back with a four runs in the top half of the fourth to retake the lead 7-5. Following a leadoff walk and stolen base by Talan, Ryan stroked a RBI hit that brought Talan home and close the gap to one.
Ryan proceeded to brashly swipe a pair of bases to get into scoring position at third. A TP faux pas on his steal of third base allowed Ryan to motor home with the tying run.
With two outs, Daniel (10) garnered a walk and stole his way way around the horn to third base. Feasting on a scrumptious TP wild pitch, Daniel barreled home with York’s go ahead score.
Marcus (12) and Matthew followed with back to back walks that put two on the dance floor. With runners on third and second, another wild pitch would allow Matthew to advance to third and brought Marcus home with the Riverdogs seventh run.
With a pair of dawgs on base, TP reliever Guillermo entered the fray from the bullpen to ring up a strikeout to extinguish the York insurrection in the fourth frame.
TP threatened in the bottom vector of the fourth when they loaded the bases on a single by Jack (4) and a pair of walks by Jamie (8) and Kesh.
However, wily York reliever Lucas got out of the sticky wicket in the fourth frame as he chalked up three strikeouts to keep TP off the scoring abacus and leave the bases loaded.
Going for the jugular, the Riverdogs added three more to their haul in the top of the fifth to extend their lead to 10-5. After a leadoff single by Lucas and a walk by Matteo put two swans on the lake, Luca T. hit into a groundout that allowed Lucas to come home from third with a run.
After Talan reached base on a hit by pitch that put two aboard, Ryan delivered a one out RBI double that brought Matteo and Talan homeward with a pair of runs.
Following a walk and stolen base by Nicholas (24). Shane (9) flied out to left field for the second out. On the play, TP left fielder Saeed noticed that Shane had wandered afar from second base. As Shane hustled back to the base, Saeed made a rocket throw to TP second baseman Kesh, who stepped on the bag to ring up a 7-4 double play to end the Riverdogs rebellion,
In the bottom half of the fifth, TP threatened again after Dash and Anthony drew back to back walks that put two penguins on the pond,
Cool as a cucumber, York reliever Lucas tallied a groundout, strikeout and a lineout back to the mound to vanquish TP’s comeback bid in the fifth frame.
York tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth to solidify their lead at 11-5. Following a leadoff walk and two stolen bases, Daniel would charge home on a wild pitch to score the Riverdogs eleventh run.
With a dash of ketchup and a dollop of relish. TP reliever Guillermo rang up two strikeouts and a lineout in the sixth inning to end the Riverdogs resistance.
Donning their rally caps, TP refused to go quietly into the night in the bottom of the sixth. Following a leadoff walk by Saeed, Jack stroked a single that put two aboard.
After York closer Talan chalked up a strikeout for the first out, the Riverdogs defense rose to the occasion and sealed the deal with two defensive gems. With runners on third and second, TP baserunner Saeed would be erased on well executed 5-2-1 rundown play for the second out.
With two outs, Jack made a brazen attempt to steal third base. However, York catcher Shane made a laser throw to third baseman Daniel, who slapped the tag on Jack to chalk up the third out and bring the curtain down on the proceedings.
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